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Two file to run for Upshur County sheriff

BUCKHANNON — Two Upshur County veteran law enforcement officers have filed as Republicans to run for sheriff in the May 12 primary.

Chief deputy Mike Kelley filed Saturday morning on the last day of in-person candidate filing at the Upshur County Clerk’s office. Kelley has served as chief deputy for all eight years of current sheriff David Coffman’s terms. Because sheriffs are limited to two consecutive terms, Coffman was not eligible to file again.

Virgil Miller, who has previously served as sheriff, filed at the beginning of the candidate filing period. Kelley also served as chief deputy under Miller’s term.

The only other contested county race is that of Upshur County Board of Education. Two seats are up this year, that of Dr. Tammy Samples and Alan Suder. Samples filed for re-election in her district 3. Graham Godwin, Dave Bush and Pat Long have all filed for election in District 2. There can be no more than two people from any one district elected to the board of education.

Other partisan candidate filings previously reported include commissioner Terry Cutright, a Republican, filing to keep his seat on the commission, prosecuting attorney Bryan Hinkle as a Republican and assessor Dusty Zickefoose as a Republican. Non-partisan races have current magistrates Mike Coffman and Kay Hurst filing to keep their seats and Doug Bush refiling for Tygart Valley Soil District supervisor.

The official filing period ended Saturday at midnight and any candidate filings would have had to have been postmarked by midnight Saturday, according to county clerk Carol Smith.

Down the street at Buckhannon City Hall, no new filings were made Saturday morning, according to director of finance and administration Amby Jenkins.

However, the non-partisan city races have more challengers.

Current councilman Robbie Skinner filed late Tuesday afternoon to challenge current mayor David McCauley and Mike Bodnar for the mayor’s seat.

Skinner was elected to his first term on city council in 2016 and his seat is up for election on the May 12 city ballot along with those of Pamela Bucklew and C.J. Rylands. Both Bucklew and C.J. Rylands have filed to keep their seats on city council.

Other filings include Scott Preston, Jack Reger, Rick Edwards, Steve Oldaker, Shelia Sines, Shauna Jones and Matthew Kerner for the three open council seats.

Abigail Benjamin has filed to run for city recorder and will face Randall Sanders who was appointed to the position in 2019 and has filed to keep the seat.

Any city filings would also have to have been postmarked by midnight on Saturday.

Any updates to this list will be included in a future Inter-Mountain article.

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